Soaking pit for steel ingots



(No Model.) s SheetsSheet 1. J. GJERS.

SOAKING PIT FOR STEEL INGOTS. No. 342,251. Patented May 18, 1886.

N. PETERS, Phow-uuw n ner. Wnshmgio", I10.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. GJERS.

SOAKING PIT FOR STEEL INGOTS. No. 342,251". Patented May 18, 1886.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet a.

J. GJERS.

SOAKING PIT FOR STEEL meo'rs. No. 342,251. Patented May 18, 1886.

N, Fnzns. Phcloiiihugnpimr, Waxhinglor 11c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN GJERS, OF MIDDLESBROUGH-ON-TEES, ENGLAND.

SOAKlNG-PIT FOR STEEL INGOTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 342,251, dated May 18, 1885.

Application filed March 27, 1885. Serial No. IGOJSS. (No model.) Patented in Germany May 9, 1882, No. Jljlll; in England Febrnary 20, 1885, No. 2,338; in France February 21, 1885, N0.167,Jlfi; in Belgium February 91, 1885, No. 07,968; in Sweden February 2S, 1983, X0. 85; in Luxemhnrg March 1, 1885. No. 505,511111 in Italy December ill, 18S5, XXXYIII, 90.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN Games, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at llliddlesbrough-on-Tees, Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, have invented new and useful Improvements in Soaking-Pits for Steel Ingots, ofwhich the followingisa specification.

My present invention relates to a further development of the mode or process of treating steel ingots in soaki ng-pits, for which I obtained Letters Patent of the United States under date the 21st day of August, 1883, No. 283,785. As is well known, the invention forming the sub- I ject ofthat patent is usually carried out in practice in the following manner: The ingot as soon as it is stripped is with the least possible de lay placed upright within a previously-heated upright soaking-pit, which is constructed of a cross-section only slightly larger than that of the ingot, and of a depth deeper than thelength of the ingot, and then this soaking-pit is immediately covered over with a cover or lid, such as will practically exclude the air. In this pit thus covered the ingot is allowed to stand am soak (as I call it) until it assumes throughout a suitable temperature for being rolled or otherwise pressed into a bloom or other shaped article. An experienced workman, as is well known, can judge from the appearance of the ingot when it isin a fit state to be rolled. \Vhen starting, the cold pit is first subjected to a preliminary heating, which is usually effected by introducing into the pit in the first instance hot ingots, which, after imparting the requisite heat, are withdrawn and require to be reheated before they are rolled. It has been found that the operation as j ust above described is perfectly successful if the works have been adapted from the beginning for such treatment, and if charges of recently-cast ingots pass through the soaking pits with su fficient regularity and rapidity; but in works where the casting of the ingots takes place at some distance from the rolling-mill, or where thcingots produced are either of very small size or are cast at long intervals, it becomes somewhat difficult to preserve such a surplus of heat in the soaking-pit as is necessary for the attainmentthroughout the ingots of a sufficient temperature for rolling.

To supply additional heat to the walls of the soaking-pits, and also to insure the retention by them of thetempcrature to which they have been raised, so that they may always be hot enough to receive a new charge of ingots, an arrangemel'it of apparatus has been described in the specification of an application for Letters Patent of the United States by James Riley, filed the same day as my present application. Other arrangements are also described in the specifications of two applications for Letters Patent of the United States by me, likewise filed the same day as my present application, Nos. 160,356 and 160,357.

Now, according to my present invention the soaki ng-pits are constructed in the forn1.ot'vertical fire-clay retorts set in a combustion-chamber, as I will proceed to describe with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 represents in transverse'section, Fig. 2 in longitudinal section, and .Fi 8 in sectional plan, such an arrangement.

a a are the soaking-pits, in the form of vertical fire-clay retorts,setin a combustion-chamber, c, and the heating of the soaking-pits is effected only from the outside by means of the gases burning in the combustion-chamber c. The products of combustion pass away through the flue d to the chimney e. The gas enters by the valve f and passes along the flue g. The air enters by the valve h and passes along the flue 7:, both uniting and burning through the openings in the brick-work at Z. The gas and air in passing through these flues g and is take up the'heat that passes through the brickwork m, so that the heat going away at the outsidc-is always being brought back to the combustion-chamber c. Bricks may be built in at intervals across the gas-heating flue, as also across the ainheating flue, for the purpose of affording additional heating-surface, besides strengthening the walls of the fines.

It will be evident the arrangement can be adapted to work either with solid or liquid fuel, or with a producer of natural gas.

Fig. 41. is a vertical section illustrating the method of heating the soaking with solid fuel.

Fig. 5 is a plan or top view, partly in section, the section being taken partly on the line 00 x and partly on the line y 3 Fig. 4, the tops of the soaking-pits in the latter section being removed. In this arrangementnis a closed firegrate, to which fuel is supplied by vertical openings 0, situated above the grate and closed at the top. Air to support combustion is admitted through air-valvesp to vertical flues g, from which it passes along through ilues q in the brick-work m to other vertical fines, g, from which it passes to openings r 9-, situate above and beneath the grate, respectively. The flame and heated products of combustion pass from the grate to the chamber a, where it heats the soaking-pits, and finally escapes to the chimney, as before. If natural gas or liquid fuel be employed it is simply necessary to inject either of these substances through a hole in the fire-door and over the fire-grate.

What I claim is 1. Apparatus for treating steel ingots to equalize their ten'lperature before rolling, comprising a vertical soaking pit or pits constructed in a mass of brick-work in the form of vertical fire-clay retorts, in combination with a combustion-chamber, in which the retorts are set, and separate valves and separate fines to regulate the admission of air and gas to said chamber, openings in the brick-work where the gas and air unite, and a flue to carry away the products of combustion to a chimney, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The apparatus for treating steel ingots to equalize their temperature before rolling, C0111- prising vertical soaking-pits a, constructed in the form of retorts, combustion chamber 0, valvef, flue g, valve h, flue 7c, and openings 1, flue d, and chimney 6, arranged and operating substantially as described.

JOHN GJEBS.

\Vitnesses:

JAS. L. ADAMS,

52 Hartingion Road, llliddlesbrough, JAMES B. DALES,

10 Benson Street, llfiddlesbrough. 

